Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has issued a stark warning about coordinated takedown extortionists exploiting platform moderation systems and App Store enforcement processes. In a detailed statement shared after the app was reinstated, Durov revealed that the suspension stemmed from an attacker planting illegal pornographic content in a public Telegram group using what he described as a technical workaround. The CEO emphasized that this incident demonstrates how bad actors are systematically targeting major technology platforms through sophisticated manipulation tactics.
Apple has restored Telegram to the App Store after temporarily removing the messaging platform over content that violated child sexual abuse material policies. According to reports from Forbes, the removal lasted only briefly after Apple's review identified content that breached the company's CSAM policies. The platform was restored after Telegram removed the offending content and banned the user responsible, with the company providing additional details through a statement to Forbes. Independent monitoring data had indicated the app was unavailable across all 175 tested App Store storefronts for hours before the restoration.
The temporary removal was triggered by content that violated Apple's child sexual abuse material policies, as reported by Forbes. Telegram acknowledged the incident with a short post on X that read 'Reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated', followed by an apple emoji. The company provided additional details, stating that Apple had reported a single user for sharing CSAM and that the account was immediately banned. Telegram has significantly ramped up its enforcement efforts, removing more than 337,900 CSAM-related groups and channels during 2026 and carrying out another 29,640 removals in 2025 following reports from organizations including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
The App Store incident briefly weighed on crypto markets tied to Telegram's ecosystem, with GRAM falling about 6.4% from $1.41 to $1.32 after reports of the removal surfaced before rebounding to around $1.40 at the time of writing. According to CoinGecko data, the cryptocurrency had previously crashed to $1.29, marking a three-month low and the lowest level recorded since late April. Derivatives market activity had surged dramatically, with GRAM's derivatives volume rising 490% to $123.27 million and Open Interest increasing 1.2% to $93.28 million, though the token has since recovered most of its losses.
The App Store episode comes as Telegram and founder Pavel Durov continue facing legal challenges in multiple countries. Late last month, Russia's Federal Security Service charged Durov with facilitating terrorist activity and placed him on an international wanted list, alleging that Telegram failed to remove channels, group chats and bots allegedly used by Ukrainian intelligence services, terrorist organizations and extremist groups. Earlier this year, Durov described the Russian investigation as politically motivated, while French investigators arrested him near Paris in August 2024 over allegations involving organized crime and child sexual abuse material. Australia has also opened legal proceedings against Telegram over alleged failures to remove terrorist and violent extremist material, with the country's eSafety Commissioner launching Federal Court proceedings accusing the platform of leaving videos linked to the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings accessible.
